Pneumatic-conveyer switch



May 19, 1925.

J. L. CUSHING INEUMATIC CONVEYER SWITCH Filed June 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Wines May 19, 1-925. 1,538,027

. J. L. CUSHING PNBUIIATIC CONVEYER SWITCH Filed June 21. 1924 2 Sheets-'Sh eet 2 Patented May 19, 1925.

JQSEPH- L. cosmne, or nownLL, MASSACHUSETTS.

PNEUMATIG CONVEYER SWITCH.

pr e tipn e June 21, 5 sri l. e- 2% To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J osnrn L. Cusnmo, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lowell, in. the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fneumatic-Conveyer Switches; andl do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to an improvement in pneumatic conveyer switches.

The object of the invention is to produce a switch for pneumatic conveyer systems for. directing the discharge into different delivery pipeswhich shall be simple in con struction, eflicient in operation, and inexpensive of manufacture. To these. ends the present invention consists in the switch hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings illustrat ing the preferred form of the invention, Fig. 1 is a plan view, Fig. 2 is a side elevation, and Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the switch embodying the present invent-ion; Figs. 4, 5 and 6 illustrate the switch parts in different positions.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention is described as follows: The supply pipe 10 is provided on its end with a sliding sleeve 11 having on its under side a shoe 12 which is supported by the track' 13. To the under side of the shoe. 12 is secured a plate 14 towhich are attached ropes 15, and 16 extending over pulleys 17 and 18, by means of which the sliding sleeve may be moved to the right or to the left. WVhen moved to the left it slides on to the end of the supply pipe 10.; when moved to the right it enters the end of the switch pipe and delivers the material entering the supply pipe thereinto. The sleeve. is stiff ened by lip, 19 at the end which slides over the supply pipe and is tapered at its other end 20 where it enters the. switch pipe.

One delivery pipe is indicated at '21, the other delivery pipe is indicated at 22. These delivery pipes taper to, round ends 23 and 24 respectively, which enter round delivery pipes extending therefrom if it is desired to convey the material beyond the switch point. The delivery pipe 21 is provided with a hinged section 25 pivotally mounted on the hinge 26 mounted on the delivery p pe.

P pe

21 is cut on a diagonal, as Shown, and reinforced by the. rib 27; The. delivery pipe 22. is, similarly cut on a diagonal in the opposite direction, and similarly ribbed. The end of the Switch pipe 25 which enters the delivery pipe 21 is cut on a diagonal 28, so thatwhen it occupies the .position shown in Fig.4, it is, received in the end of the delivery pipe 21 with a proper lap. The receiving end 29 of the switch 25 is provided with the reinforcing lip 30. The other switch 31 is provided with a curved receiving end 32 having, a reinforcing lip 33. The switch pipe 31 has- .a diagonal cut end 34, which, when it occupies the position shown in Figs. 1 and 6, extends into the end of the delivery pipe 22 with the proper lap. The switch pipe 31 is hinged to the delivery 22- by the hinge 35, mounted on the 1'6081V1I1g end of the delivery pipe 22. The

pipe 21. The receiving end of the delivery twoswitches 25 and 31 are connected by a bar 36. to which they are respectively pivoted at 37 and 38.- A-rope 39 extends 7 from one end of the bar 36 to the pulley 40, and a :rope 41 from the other end of the bar 36 extends to the pulley 42, over which it passes. The various pieces of piping and Switches, are frame work 'shown. angle bars 43. and 44 s upport the two crossbars 45- and 46 between which the delivery pipe 10 is supported. The angle bars 47 and 48 extend across the two delivery pipes and are supported by the vertical angle bars 49 and 50. The angle bars 47 and 48 are connected by two pairs of angle bars with'the angle bars 45 and '46. Thus, one

pair of angle bars 51 extend on one side of the switch, and another pair 52 extend along the opposite side of the switch, and

supported by thei Thus, two vertical attached to, the angle bars 47 and 48 are the vertical supports 49 and 50, orboth. A

supporting angle bar 53 extends across from s material such as wool carried through thepipe by the air passing therethrough is not impeded in its movement, but may pass freely through a continuous unobstructed pipe having no interstices or spaces for catching or holding the material. Now, if it is desired to change the discharge from the pipe 21 to the delivery pipe 22, the operator pulls on the rope 16, thereby sliding the sleeve 11 to the left on to the end of the supply pipe 10, and then pulls upon the rope 39 which causes the switch pipes 25 and 31 to be swung upon their pivots from the position shown in Fig. 4:, through the position shown in Fig. 5, to the position shown in Fig. 6. Thereupon the rope 15 will be pulled upon and the sliding sleeve will return to its operative position with its tapered end inserted in the mouth of the non-straight switch pipe 81. Then the discharge of the material being conveyed through the pipe will pass from the supply pipe 10 through the connecting pipe 11 and pass into the switch pipe 81, and thence move into the delivery pipe 22, and in its passage through the pipes there are no obstructions or placeswhere the material may catch or collect.

It is within the purview of the invention to provide a plurality of delivery pipes with a plurality of switch pipes, so that any one of them may be connected with the supply pipe to receive the material being conveyed through the pipes and to discharge it into the desired delivery pipe.

The important feature of the invention resides in the use of a connecting pipe which is moved into inoperative position when it is desired to throw the switch to change the delivery, i. e., it resides in providing pivoted switch pipes and a movable pipe section for connecting the supply pipe to the delivery switches adapted to be moved from operative to inoperative position when the switch pipes are to be moved.

Having thus described the invention,

what is claimed is:

-1. A pneumatic conveyer switch having, in combination, a supply pipe, a plurality of discharge pipes, a hinged switch pipe for each discharge pipe supported to swing 8 pp y p p and a sliding sleeve pipe for connecting the supply pipe with the hinged pipe located in operative position.

2. A pneumatic conveyer switch having, in combination, a supply pipe, a plurality of discharge pipes, a hinged. switch pipe for each discharge pipe each supported to swing from operative to inoperative position, and

a movable connecting pipe adapted to be moved from operative to inoperative position when it is desired to change the position of the hinged switch pipes, and to be moved from inoperative to operative position after the hinged switch pipes have been moved.

3. A pneumatic conveyer switch having, in combination, a supply pipe, a plurality of discharge pipes, a hinged. switch pipe for each discharge pipe, a movable pipe section for. connecting the mouths of the hinged switch pipes with the discharge end of the supply pipe, mean-s for connecting the switch pipes together so that they may be moved, the one from and the other into operative position.

4. A pneumatic conveyer switch having, in combination, a supply pipe, a plurality of discharge pipes, hinged switch pipes having their discharge ends entering the discharge pipes, a movable connecting pipe for 7 connecting the discharge end of the supply pipe with the receiving mouth of the switch pipe in operative position, and means for moving the switch pipes to move one switch pipe out of operative position at the same time another switch pipe is moved into operative position.

5. A pneumatic conveyer switch having, in combination, a supply pipe, a discharge pipe in line therewith, a straight hinged switch pipe pivoted to the discharge pipe and adapted to be moved into and out of line with the supply pipe, a connecting pipe for connecting the supply pipe with the re ceiving mouth of the switch pipe adapted to be moved from operative to inoperative position to permit the switch pipe tobe moved out of and into operative position, a side delivery pipe, a non-straight. switch pipe pivotally mounted thereon adapted to be swung with its mouth into position in line with the supply pipe to receive the end of the connecting pipe when in operative position so as to discharge the material received from the supply pipe into the side delivery pipe.

6. A pneumatic conveyer switch having, in combination, a supply pipe, a plurality of discharge pipes, a movable switch pipe for each discharge pipe supported to move from inoperative position'out of line with the supply pipe into operative position in line therewith, and a sliding sleeve pipe for connecting the supply pipe with the movable switch pipe located in operative position. v

In testimony whereof I have name to this specification.

. JOSEPH L; CUSHING.

signed my 

